Ka'azan's Story: Tale of the Poe
by Beaumren Trill
Summary: With a scythe in one hand and an eerie lantern under foot, who wouldn't be scared of the Poe Ghosts? But what if we don't actually understand their situation? Ka'azan lets us see the life of a Poe. More 'monster' species to come in later chapters.
1. Tale of the Poe

People always ask: What would it be like to be dead? What do ghosts do all day and night? Would it be fun to be a ghost? Well, I can honestly say that it sucks being a ghost. Being dead is far less fun from being alive. As for how we spend our time, we sleep in the day, and wander aimlessly at night. Most wander aimlessly, anyway. My name is Ka'azan, and I'm a Poe.

There were sixty of us to start with. Now we are down to three or four. I've not been to the lake to check on Daw, the poe who resides on the cliff side under some amusement attraction or other. The wolf was last seen lingering around in that general area, and I worry about my others. The four sisters in the Arbiter's Grounds are gone, the others in all of the temples have vanished, and even the others who went into the skies are gone. We last four are all that is left of the Poe community.

Typically, I love wandering the ruins just past the South exit of Castle Town. I skirted about the area with another of our kind, and we would often meet up with one more, who played around on the steps. Those days are over though; we never saw it coming. It happened right before dawn... the wolf attacked. Wolves are highly uncommon in areas outside of Snow Peak, and even then the only place you ever see them is around the base of Zora's Domain. This wolf, though, is different. He is not from the snowy land past the lake. The first time I saw him, he came from the forested area towards the south, in the Faron province. I highly doubt that is his origin.

Normally a Poe will take a liking to one spot, and root itself to the area, it will grow attached. Most of the time this is because the spot is related to the death we went through. I have never completely rooted myself down, I dislike the idea. Then again, I cannot remember more than my name and old job of my prior life as one of the living; this makes me think that it gives me no reason to become attached to a singular spot. I liked to frequent the area outside of Castle Town because others liked the area as well. The desert was another area.

I woke up for the first of many times in the center room of the Arbiter's Grounds. The four sisters were around me, and they were so kind. I couldn't understand them at first, but soon everything cleared up as I opened my eyes and tried to focus.

"What is your name, new one?"

"Maybe he cannot remember it."

I blinked and peered at them through my blueish silver hair. I lifted a hand to swipe it from my eyes, and stopped and stared at my fingers. They were white, and gave off a kind of glow. It was eerie, but comforting. One had asked my name... My name? What was my name? Images flashed through my head. A younger sibling, maybe, came running up while calling a name. The memory dissipated, and I repeated the name.

"Ka'azan." My voice was hoarse and raspy, and words did not come easily. The sisters all laughed, and it sent chills through my body. At the same time though, it sounded pleasant to my ears. They explained that were were souls of those who lived and died in agony, and could not rest in peace. I had lived such a horrible life that I was to relive a new one, albeit as a tangible spirit? I wished to know what I had gone through, but no more memories came to my aid.

The following years, I explored the grounds, talking to the skeletal warriors who liked to rest in the sand, teasing the Stalfos who could not leave their rooms as they pleased. I met several others like me and the sisters in the deeper parts of the grounds, and they revealed that it was safe for us here. Outside, daylight forced us to go into a slumber. Certain things could actually re-kill us, and the elements zapped us of our power. Despite his warning, I wished to see it. The sisters told me that, before I could go outside, I had to have a scythe. I had a lantern as any respectable Poe did, and I carried it under me, but I started to notice that all the other Poes had these wonderful looking things they carried around. They had a metal half-moon piece attached to a stick of wood, and when it was made so they could wield it, it made a wonderful sound when you swung it.

The sisters sent me to pick materials for my very own scythe. I spent weeks killing off Stalfos to get a magical substance their bones held. It would make the weapon mine and mine alone, as well as form the metal of the blade. Instead of just bolts to hold it, I pried and pulled at an old, broken, chandelier until my fingers were raw and silvery purple blood oozed from them. I got a grating piece that I was very happy with. And then I searched and searched and searched until at least I found a crooked wooden staff close to the mirror chamber. When the sisters showed me how to make it all combine, I was ecstatic about my new weapon. I played with it ll the time. Rats, when struck with it, would fall dead, then turn into the kind of being similar to my own. They lived, but were not in the living dimension. It did not work on the undead, sadly. I wanted to have one of my best friends be able to communicate with me more easily.

Then there was the day that the man came through. The sages who protected the chamber of the twilight mirror had him dragged through. He was what the sisters called a Gruedo. I had seen some before, and they had all been women. As was my understanding, a male was not normal in that race. I followed behind the sages and the man, staying out of sight. I never got to see what became of him though, since the second dawn hit, and the Mirror Chamber was bathed in light, I understood what they meant by we went to sleep. I awoke that evening, and nothing looked right. It smelled stale, and everything had the essence of chaos to it. It was enthralling, listening to the land whisper stories about what had happened. That was the night I decided to leave. I said my goodbye to the skeletal warriors and the sisters, and left two night later when I had stored more energy to survive off of.

When we are awake, we use energy, which we collect from activity around us. When we sleep, we use energy, but do not collect it. It is dangerous to let yourself get low on energy. I traveled all over, and came to like the spot fore mentioned near Castle Town, but never stayed in one spot for too long. It was seven more years, and I saw the wolf when I was in the Eldin province. I also saw him attack the Poe who lived on the hill in the area. He fought and took down the other easily. It was surprising that he could see more than our lanterns, and when he ripped out what we called our soul, I fled. I ran straight to the sisters and told them of what I saw, and they warned me to stay away from the wold from the forest. They had felt the flames of more and more of the others going out, and they wished for me to stay safe.

Stay safe, they said; so what safer place to stay than on the trail of your enemy. I stalked him at a far distance, and I was shocked when I saw him change into a human. I had killed so many of those flabby things when they wandered too close to the glow of my light, and now here one was, parading as a beast and killing us. After twenty of us were gone, he stopped and did other quests for a while. I never followed him into new temples. Those sacred places were tainted, and I could not bare to enter any without a heavy weight bearing down on me. I dared once to follow him, and half-way past the first room, I was thrown into a fit of pain and agony. I almost shattered my lanterns when I fell from my spot near the ceiling. It was memories of my living days. I had been an archer in another land, similar to this one. Then a war happened, and.... and.... everything stopped. It just, stopped. I couldn't remember anymore, but the pain from the memory was enough to make me want to never see that again. I left that temple and went back to the desert.

My name hadn't been Ka'azan as I had thought at first. That had been the word for older brother in the language I used to speak. It didn't matter, it was my name now. I may be one of the youngest of the sixty Poes, but I acted as though I had years of knowledge. Others tended to steer clear of me at first because my attitude wasn't all that great. I didn't care, really. Only a few of them dared try to crack the barrier I put up, and I let them in. They deserved nothing less for being willing to try.

It broke my heart when the wolf came to the land where my two friends and I were hanging out. He was changing back and forth from man to beast, moving statues with some odd rod of sorts, and collecting ancient letters. He killed them both, and right as he turned to lunge for me... dawn broke. I ran when night fell again, and kept track of who was left. It wasn't many, and I found that he was hunting us down now. He always seemed to be where I thought I could hide less.

Tonight, I am going to check on Daw. When I arrive at her ledge though, I am sad to find the shattered remains of her lanterns in the grass, the flame in it flickered out and gone... for good. Now there are only three. I go for the other one who hides on a ledge above Death Mountain Trail, and his lantern is smashed as well; two left, now. I go down to the grave yard, and I feel a horrid dread to hear the quays singing about the death of the only other Poe. Her grave has no lantern pieces by it, but the silvery purple blood is on the grass all around it. I'm all that's left, aren't I? I can't bare to look at the murder scene, and leave the grave yard. Kakariko is quiet at night, and the little goron boy who sells stuff at night pays me no mind. He has seen things worse than a wandering soul, and knows I will do him no harm. I make my way up to the watch tower, then realize another one was killed here, and promptly turn to mull around the rubble of an old store house.

It's almost dawn when I hear an annoying giggle. I turn around and look at him. He's human right now, but he's staring right at me. I lower closer to the ground, and his eyes follow. The thing normally mounted on his back comes from his shadow at this time, and says something about me being the last one. So I am alone, then? Might as well let him have me. He changes to a wolf, and growls while stalking forwards. I do nothing to move or attack, and it makes him double weary of me. He lunges and strikes me, and I fall back. He jumps back and readies for another strike. A wicked smile places itself on my stitched lips. He lunges again and I feel my blade swinging through the air. It strikes him and he yelps as he is thrown back. I cackle as the rush goes through me, then look as dawn rises. He lunges and snaps where I would have been seconds ago. He snaps and snarls in the spot where I was floating moments before. He comes back every night after that, always looking for me, following a trail I left. He always finds my new hiding spot, and I always disappear right as dawn comes, and right as he is about to finish me.

I'm running low on energy, and I can't fight back for much longer. I commend his efforts though. I will not go down easily, but damn that wolf is persistent.


	2. Tale of the Poe: Part 2

He's getting tired of these games, and getting smarter about where I will appear next. I haven't collected much energy in weeks, and I can't float higher than two feet off the ground. With any luck, he won't find me tonight, and I can just sit and recollect myself. He never finds me until just before dawn, giving me all night to collect energy, but then it is all thrown away when he appears and we start a dangerous game of tag.

I lift my scythe to my chest and almost frown at how heavy it feels. If he finds me tonight, I may not have the chance to fall asleep at dawn. I drop my arm again and hover on the small mound like hill across the river from the fishing hole. It is quiet out tonight, and this scares me. It is never quiet. The wind usually whispers of the things going on, the river usually bubbles with joy as it rushes by, and the stone atop a small ledge usually sings with the wind. Tonight though, not even the female dragonfly that hovers by the boat rental place makes a sound. The wind does not whisper, and though the river rushes, it does not speak. I cannot hear the stone at the top of the cliff either.

My eyes droop lightly as I stare through my bangs at the water's edge. I cast no true reflection, just that of my lantern. It would be easier to hide if I wasn't the only light source around in the dead of night. I could toss the damned thing away, but a poe's lantern is its life, we guard it as a Watarara might guard its newly hatched chick. I look down at my lantern, noting just how dim the light really is compared to what I remember it once being. I am running myself ragged.

I hear a giggle and turn to look across the river. The wolf is there, staring at me with a look of determination. He found me rather quickly, despite how far I moved from my last location. The spring right outside of Ordon Village was nice. He didn't find me until dawn was just around the bend, and could only just reach me before I disappeared in the light. I stared back, not bothering to give the devious grin he has come to expect from me. This is nothing like killing rats back in the Arbiter's Grounds. This wolf does not change to a living spirit, and only gets right back up to lunge again.

I silently watch as he jumps into the water and tries to make it over to my little hill, but the current is too strong, and he growls in frustration as he is pushed back onto the bank he just tried to leave. He looks around then quickly circles over to the ledge with the howling stone on it. He goes past that as well, and jumps back into the water. He was quick to notice the split in the river's current that pushed up on the bank I was on. He stepped up onto the bank and quickly shook the water off of himself and his mount. He took a step forwards.... and nothing. He stood waiting. Did he want me to start? That was... unusual of him. His mount said something and tapped his sides like he was her own horse. He barked something at her, then looked to me and continued the stare down.

He was waiting on me. I might as well humor him; it will make him feel better when he wins, for I have no doubt that this will be our last game of 'tag'. I lift my scythe and float close. He crouches, and I zoom forwards. He opens his jaw and bites at me to meet the swing of my weapon. He got a mouth full of stick, but it didn't stop him from trying to push me back. I grasp my scythe with both hands and swing him around, forcing him to let go of my beloved weapon, and slam right into the rock wall behind him. As usual, he gets right back up and shakes it off like it was nothing. I never went into the temples with him, but I know the stories, and I know what this man disguised as a beast has accomplished. He still hasn't freed the castle that is encased in the pyramid of twilight, but he has a stronger spirit than anyone I have ever seen in this land I haunt. I do not know why he needs my kinds souls, but he will not get mine so easily!

The wolf lunges at me, and rolls to the side as I swing at him. I miss and he latches onto my shoulder and makes a jerking motion with his head, ripping part of my hood and digging into my flesh. How a ghost can have flesh, I'm not sure, but I do know that he has a way to grip it, and tear it as if I were any other lump of meat he could chew on. I bring the butt of my scythe up and smash it against his head, knocking him off of me. He rolls back and wipes his muzzle with his paws before trying to circle around me I spin as fast as I can and slice at him, but he simple dodges it. With every swipe he dodges, he is getting closer. I have my back to the wall now. He rounded me away from the river so I couldn't escape... and I fell for it.

His mount let off an oddly malicious sounding giggle and patted his shoulder. He crouched and jumped. I couldn't bring my scythe around into a full swing in time, so instead I whacked him upside the head once more with the butt of the stick. He rolled and I lunged, swinging in full circled that brought my body around with it. When I was done with my tornado-like attack, I backed off. If I had breath to use, I would probably be out of it and panting. The little black and blue creature that rode on his back was trying to get him up. I had managed to open several large gashes in his shoulders and one on his side. He struggled to stand, and could only get himself half way up. I'm figuring he has never had this much trouble from a poe before, nor felt the true effects of our blades.

He let out a whine and kicked his female rider away as I raised my scythe above my head to deliver the final blow. His head for all on my fallen family, now that would be a fair trade. His companion looked in horror as I brought my scythe down. He closed his eyes as it blade neared him, but looked in shock when the blade sunk itself into the ground in front of him, and I simply floated in the air behind it. I couldn't take his life. Even though he had taken so many of the ones I called my family, I couldn't take this single person's life. In all honesty, watching him admit defeat and push his friend away so she wouldn't get hurt... it reminded me of on more memory. That little sister I had back when I was alive, she begged for my help, called my name, and asked for me to save her. I could have, but when I laid eyes on the monster squeezing the life from her, I ran. I ran and lived the rest of my life in regret, alcohol, and war; forever trying to get her image out of my head. Now, looking at this beast, I could not take my prize.

He barked something out at me, his hears laying back. I couldn't understand him. I only spoke what came naturally to me. I left my scythe there, and turned to float off to the corner of the hill. In all honesty, that last attack had left me without energy, and I probably couldn't lift my weapon if I tried. I could barely stay afloat, and my dimmed lantern scraped the ground as I moved to sulk in the corner, my back to the wolf.

The female was being frantic and going on about something in their language, and the wolf finally got up and limped over to me. He growled and lunged. He nipped and pulled, trying to get me to respond. He didn't want to stop, or go down without a fight. I looked over my shoulder at him, peering through my bang, and gave him one last smile. It was all he needed, and he understood. He jumped me and my light flittered out before my lantern smashed on the ground, my body dissipating into the darkness as he held my soul. Surprisingly, there was no pain. I was thankful to the wolf. All in all, this game of tag we had been playing was the most fun I have had in a long time. I heard a mournful howl before everything started to dissolve into darkness around me.

I was right, I wouldn't get to sleep at the next dawn.


	3. Folowing A Keese

There was no real good reason for it, but I hated Deku Babas. They always snapped at us Keese, and their language was so foul! Sure, being part of a heavily extended family, I loved to talk and socialize, but my language was no where near as bad as those living plants! I saw no reason to extend my vocabulary in the direction like that of an armored lizard. I am actually from the eastern part of Hyrule field, so I know more about the different races outside in the field than any of my siblings here in the Forest Temple.

I got tired of being chased around by the axe-wielding lizards, so I traveled around in the dark caves a bit. The Skullata were not as hospitable as I had hoped they would be. One wrong sonic wave, and you miss their nets. You hit a web, and they don't care what you are- you're dinner. Needles to say, I left that place rather quickly. After checking out the different caves and habitable places which weren't out in the open, I settled for moving in with my sisters in the Forest Temple. A funny fact about us Keese: in a cluster, there is only one gender. This is so there are no squabbles about finding a mating partner. You want to mate, you find another group of the opposite gender, then try to impress them. If you succeded, you had mating rights to all of them for the time being. I had forgotten about this little fact almost entirely when I first came, and ended up getting run off by other males who were looking to impress. My first week was miserable because of it. The male had clipped my wing, and I fell to the floor... right next to a Deku Baba. It tried to eat me, and I managed to get into a corner just out of reach, but I couldn't leave until my wing healed.

I ended up hanging out in the main pillar room where the monkeys swung by ropes to access new rooms. The monkeys were really nice; and their boss, Ook, even nicer. And one day, I noticed a change. One monkey never sowed up in the main room. I passed it as nothing. Then, though, another went missing, and another, and another, until only two were left. Ook went mad after he was given this odd thing that caused whirlwinds when thrown, and the last little monkey escaped. I thought the Deku Baba's were bad then, but when they changed, too, it got worse.

Now, they looked red and infected, like something had completely changed their genetics. They didn't curse or speak, they only cackled and snapped hungrily at anything hat moved, including each other. It was madness. Then that human came through. I hid in the rafters of the platforms, since I knew humans liked to kill off our kind. When he started killing off the Deku Babas, I instantly liked this human, and secretly followed him. It astonished me that he could solve the puzzles of the temple so easily. Then he went against Ook, and I almost chirped with glee when the monkey king handed over the Gale Boomerang. The human handled it extremely well, and did not abuse it. He also liberated the last of the monkeys.

When he unlocked the one door I had never been into before, I swooped in quickly and hid in the corner. I am ashamed to say that I almost soiled myself when Diababa rose from the acidic water, screeching and snapping with all three heads. Three heads... how was he supposed to kill that thing? With Ook feeding him bombs, and the human hacking at heads when they fell, Diababa fell rather quickly. The human collected some artifact or other, and then vanished out of the temple all together. Something told me he wouldn't be back, but I wanted to see more of this fearless being in green.

Gladly, I left the temple and headed all around and searched for the guy. I searched and searched until I gave up on finding the warrior in green. Eventually, I settled with a pack of Ice Keese up on Snow Peak. The snow wolves were fun and loved to play tag with us; they could jump as high as we could fly. The icy blue flames around my body kept me warm with an old type of natural ice magic. It drains the heat from anything it touches and gives it to us, turning said object being leeched of warmth to ice (if only for a few good seconds). The snow wolves were unaffected by our magic, having magic of their own.

Many moons passed, and one day, a new wolf came to play. He looked like no other I had seen before. I approached, but was quickly snatched out of the air by one of the snow wolves and thrown aside. I squealed in protest and pain when I hit the ground, my magic extinguishing. I looked up to see the new wolf bite into the pelt of the one who threw me, and with an anguished howl, my friend fell. He then took on my flock. They tried to freeze him, and a few succeeded, but they all eventually fell, bodies sinking into the snow for good. I guess my extinguished magic kept me from 'glowing' and standing out, because once he finished everyone off, he looked around and left up the ramp. He didn't come back after that.

A familiar snow wolf approached me and I flinched. After it whined and pushed its warm nose to my wing, I grasped onto its fur with the hooks on the ends on my wings and clung to its neck as it took me to go live with the other flock further down the mountain trail. It was one which escaped the wrath of the dark wolf that passed by. In all honesty, in my new life among the white wolves and blue brethren-keese, I forgot all about the human who killed Diababa. Though, I was weary of new wolves after my encounter with the dark one.


	4. Life on the Ceiling

Emmeral was content with siting on the ceiling, basking in the heat being let off from the magma below. She loved this spot on the ceiling. The two male dodongos on either side of the tunnel-trap doorway always bothered her, but they never liked leaving the land for the magnetic roof. Sure it was hotter down below, closer to the boiling magma, but if you caught the rising steam heat just right, it was pure bliss. It also baked Emmeral's tail to a vibrant red, and hardened her scales so they gleamed and shone as much as the magnetic stone she basked on. Eventually, though, she knew she would have to go down to drink from the magma.

Keese gave her indigestion, fire slugs were too hard to catch before they erupted into flames, and the archers and goblins were just down right unappealing. This left the one source of energy left to a dodongo, drinking molten rock. This also gave her the ability to breathe fire like the males did. It was why the males pestered her so much: she was better than them in every way. It made them itch to fight, and all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

There had been some commotion earlier, and the two males had been tossed aside by a two-legged who came to get through the tap door. She watched with a small dissatisfaction as the males got up after the two-legged had left. They were angry and huffing about now. She perked to attention as a clanging of sorts entered her ceiling domain. Emmeral barely had time to turn before something struck her unarmored tail. A reptilian cry escaped her fanged muzzle as she felt her suction pads uncurl from the rocks, and her body was suddenly being pulled down. she hit the lava and struggled some before sinking under it.

An advantage of hardening your scales with lava was that you became heat resistant. Emmeral crawled out of the magma and onto one of the few singular stone islands. Her tail and pads were badly burned, and her body ached terribly, but she was alive. She crawled over to the far south ledge of the bank, and collapsed in the shelter on a small ring of pots. When the two-legged passed by on the ground floor again, she stayed very still to avoid catching his eye. The two males, though, saw him and called and jaunted at him from their opposite banks. He pulled out a bow and shot them down easily. They fell to the hot lava, and were not as lucky to crawl out as Emmeral had done. He jumped back through the trap gate once more and never came back.

If anything good came out of it, Emmeral now had the entire room to herself with the two obnoxious males out of the way. She tried to convince herself that she didn't miss the constant calls and chatter of the now deceased males. Try as she might, though, she had to admit that it was now rather boring in her big room.


	5. Waiting for a Friend

My name is Des. And honestly, I'm rather fond of my life. As a quote 'monster', most others don't give us the time of day. I guess there's something about being a skeletal piranha that just keeps other folks from seeing us as the 'friendly type'. At least in a huge school, though, you're bound to have frinds. Not me, though. All for one simple fact: I'm a vegetarian. I can't stand the taste of meat. If I had to guess why, it would be because I was forced to become this when the Twili man came and fed us that cursed meat. It tasted ancient, but it had an odd spice about it. Next thing I know, I'm shriveled, my teeth are three inches long, and I'm shoved into the water temple.

It isn't that bad in here. The water is very clean, our mother Morpheel takes very good care of us, and there is always food around. The Biri and the clams actually grow the coral and sea grasses in the temple, so I always have a ready amount of food. One Biri calls herself my friend, and I am quite infatuated with her. Though, we don't see each other often since she lives in the main cultivation area, and I live in the pool below the staircase in the central tower. Rarely does a lizafols need to change the water flow, so I never get out. All in all, life is decent.

Well, rather, it was until the man came. His hair was gold, and he looked and smelled like a zora, but he didn't quite... fit the bill, I would say. When he first fell into the main pool, everyone swarmed him and caused injures on what ever they could get to past the armor he had on. He got on the platform and everyone left, not bothering to keep watch. He would have to get back in the water sooner or later. I stayed though. He was inspecting a nasty bite on his arm when he saw me swimming at his feet. He splashed the water and I swam off. The leader of the school was poisonous since he had eaten a tektike, and wasn't finished digesting it.

I thank the goddesses that he needed to switch the stairway so often, since it allowed me to get to Arine. Arine (my Biri friend previously mentioned) had just the stuff for his wound, so I thanked her and took the wrap of sea grasses back to the podium and waited until he returned. When he did, he was smart not to swim, but he seemed in a small amount of pain. The bite was turning a dark bruised purple. I drifted at the edge again and he gave me a glance, and was about splash at me again, when he stopped. He saw the bundle in my mouth, and seemed to think it over.

After what seemed forever, he stopped staring and huffed. He looked confused. If I could growl or yip, or something, I would have, but the only sound was the cricking of my joints which he couldn't hear. Suddenly I had an idea. I swam away, then started back at a high speed, and jumped. I hit the deck, and he let out a yelp of surprise. I felt the bundle fall from my teeth, and I flopped and worked my way back to the edge before I dried out enough to be paralyzed, and flopped back in the water. He stared at the wad of sea grass then at me. I just stayed in my spot at the deck's edge. If I could smile, I would have been. He didn't seem so bad, despite killing so many others. In his defense, though, they attacked first. He reached and poked at the bundle, and after a minute of trying to convince himself it wasn't going to explode, he picked it up and held it out somewhat to me. I swam and did a small jump out of the water. He held the grasses out and dropped them in the water, and I slapped them back with my tail really quick so they squelched onto the deck next to him.

He gave a small laugh and half smile before pulling of his hat and running his hand through his blond hair. So he was hylian? I had to wonder what he was doing here. He ended up taking the bundle and eventually figuring out it was medicine. I swam away after that since mother Morpheel seemed to be n some sort of distress. We all left. When we got to her chambers through the secret passages, she... didn't notice us. Some of us approached, and to our horror, she lashed out with a tentacle and grabbed the ones who went in close... and ate them. We all ran. Mother wasn't herself, so we went and hid back in the main pool. I saw the man in blue enter her domain through the land entrance, and I hoped for his safety.

We listened to the shrieks and howls of our Mother. The water was vibrating from the force of the fight. And finally, it all went quiet. Not too much longer, the man came back out. He looked horrible, but he was in tact. I couldn't hear Mother anymore, so I presumed her dead. It was fine with me, I could live without a 'guardian'. He looked around until he spotted me sitting still in the water, watching him. He smiled and as before: if I could, I would. I just felt my ribs prickle back and forth. He walked to the water and made sure none of the others were watching, and lightly reached his hand into the water, if not a bit hesitantly. I swam forwards slowly and stopped just short of his fingers. He made the next move and ran them over my head and down my prickly spine without stabbing himself, then over my side, and he even stroked a fang. He wasn't afraid. He smiled again and pulled his hand back slowly. He tore off a piece of his tunic, just a small sliver from the inner layers of padding, then reached back in and tied it around my neck. I wiggled happily and he smiled before waving and leaving.

I went back to my normal life after he left. He would visit every now and then in random times, but every time he did, he could pick me out because I kept the tether on me safe. I wasn't so lonely now, since I knew I had made a friend.


	6. Liberation

**Trill: **So, I'm trying something a bit different. I'm crossing Ocarina of Time with Twilight Princess, just a little bit though! I know they already have a wolfos type creature in Twilight Princess, but they didn't quite have stalchildren, either. So... here ya go. I'll probably not do something quite like this again, and I'll probably stick to Twilight Princess.

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I have no name other than my position in my pack, so one might call me Beta. The light burns my kind, so we must sleep in the ground during the day. Even then, it was almost unbearable from not just the physical light, but the elemental energy of light. Being this close to the castle, though, it is no surprise that it still burns in the ground. The power of light races through the ground as if it were a life source here. Once I understood why this was, but that was so long ago.

People call us undead, but it is not completely true. We never really died. Yes our bodies have rotted away to bone, but our spirits have not been allowed to settle. Some idiot called us Stalfols, and it made my spine bristle. What an insult! I remember an old race much like us. Children who would leave their forest sanctuary would be shamed and never allowed to rest. Stalchildren, I believe were their given race after death. We have no real name, but if the old and forgotten Kokiri race turned to Stalchildren, I guess that makes Wolfols turn into what I am.

There was this beautiful temple in a sacred place far away from these lands I now live in. Before everything changed, we got along well with the Kokiri. But a curse befell that land, and for seven years it suffered. We suffered as well. When one of us died, the body was soon to disapear if it wasn't guarded closely. We wondered what happened to them, but never searched. Soon, I and four others were left. Then a man in green came and put us out of our misery.

I silently thanked him, while others cursed him.

Soon we learned where the bodies went. We sat a few years in the ground near a place that was cursed long before the seven year war. It was Sheikah territory. The spirits fed our desire to live, and soon we were allowed to travel. We all decided to leave the land we found familiar. It took many, many years to get where we are now, and we found we can't leave. The light magic in this land is so similar to our old home, that it has bound us to the soil.

One place we could never reach also reeked of Sheikahan magic. After the twilight fell on the land, something happened. A new wolf showed up. He posed no threat to us, so we did not bother him. But one day after the twilight had been lifted, the smell of that magic caught our noses. A small girl had been holding an artifact. One we recognized well. It had the ability to give us back our original bodies if we were in twilight. We started getting ideas, and the darkness clouded our minds. We stole the item when it was set outside near the western gate of the city.

It filled us with power, not strength, mind you, but the power of life. Our bones glowed in the moonlight, and slowly over the period of a week or so, we started to notice muscle and tissue growing back. We were reverse decaying, even without the twilight. Then that wolf came again.

He walked strongly into the field that night, and sniffed around. We felt the need to protect our artifact. We didn't even know what he was after, but our minds were twisted. We rose from our slumber in the ground and attacked. We all fell eventually, and he took the little statue. Many wept over the loss, but I thanked him for liberating me. I'm sure he never heard me. Isank back into the ground to heal. We were already dead, so we never really 'die' if defeated in simple battle.

One thing I couldn't help but notice, was that his blue eyes held the same kind of determination as the youngman who liberated me the first time. I prayed for him to have a safe journey, and that he may free others as he freed my pack and me.

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**Trill:** Eeeeeehhh. I'm still not too sure if I like this chapter. Don't be surprised if it goes missing. .


	7. Oath of Time

**Trill:** That's right! I'm not dead! And here is another chapter that I'm not too sure of. But... I wanna write more, and can't decide on a monster to write about. Send me suggestions! I wanna see who can come up with a unique one!

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The temple's song seemed to hum louder today than any other before. Maybe it's just because I'm so intent on listening to it, or maybe something really is stirring up the spirits here in the temple. Who knows? Not that it matters, really. The Temple of Time really is a living hell if you're remotely human. I'm not the only one who thinks so. The lizalfols and their armored counterparts agree. They were once human as well, so they still feel the effects of the temple. This room is not what bugs me, it's the memories of what happened here that do. You could call me a monster, I guess, since I'm not entirely human anymore. My armor is my skin, my weapon my soul, and my master… my master is the dedication to a job that ended long ago.

Darknut, Armored Knight, it doesn't matter what you label me, the pain is still the same. You see, my mind is not entirely my own. Even if this is the past for the people of the future, this is the present for the people who have a past that won't die.

"Falten". My name echoes as an armored lizalfols enters my room. This is my good friend Baide. He understands my curse better than anyone else in the temple.

"As feared, someone has entered the temple. Keep the Dominion Rod safe, friend. It may be our only weapon against the spreading evil."

I look over to where the enchanted chest is hidden. It was our most sacred artifact. The Ococca left it here when they left for the skies, and several times it has proven useful in defending the temple. Recently, though, it has become dormant and unresponsive to the inhabitants of the temple. Baide gave my shoulder a pat with his clawed reptilian hand, before leaving to go back to his post.

Baide controls a small group of lizalfols in a puzzle and trap room. Hit a switch to make the walls change places, and every new section you enter, a new small group was waiting to ambush you. Baide was a tactician, and a genius one at that. He designed most of the puzzle rooms in the temple. He put his heart and soul into doing everything he could for our master.

I wish we hadn't been so loyal, though. Our curse is a particular one, found only in the temple. Back when the temple was first built, there was a kingdom all around it. Naturally, a king had to rule this land, and he had a royal guard. Myself and a hand full of others served proudly as the king's body guards. When the war for the power of the heavens came, though, our king was one of the three who tried to take the power for himself. As punishment, all who served them had to suffer for all eternity. Many were right to abandon their leaders, but those like me who had a strong sense of pride, did not run; but how we wish we did.

Every time someone who is not sharing the curse walks through that door, my body is not my own. I remember my oath to protect and serve for as long as I live, and I spring right into action whether I wish to fight or not. I will always go to fight, and I will continue to live until I am brought down in a fair fight.

Baide had warned me someone entered the temple, but when I heard the actual fighting from Baide's troop all the way back here in my room, it surprised me. By the sound of it… Baide lost. This person either plays extremely dirty, or has a rare talent for the art of battle. The armos outside my room let out their final screeches before their corpses explode in a last ditch effort to injure whoever activated them.

I moved to the center of the room and waited. Already the memories were flooding into my head. My oath, my king becoming corrupted, every fight I never wished to be a part of; all of it always comes back to me. This would just be another one of those memories soon.

The young man in green walked in, and the door slammed shut and locked behind him. He didn't seem phased by this, though, as if it were no more of an intimidation than a small kitten. Most people at least jump. I thought he seemed more like a kid at first, but now I see he is much more than that. He seems to have a purpose that he is willing to defend to the death. He is not much different than I am.

When he draws his sword, I am surprised to see none other than the Blade of Evil's Bane itself. This young man was it's legendary wielder? I felt my body stalk forwards. The fight he put up at first was not one of a novice. He tested my blows and agility, my flexibility and stability, and my power overall. Then the real fight began. He spun around me and slashed upwards.

A chunk of my armor fell to the ground. I let out a growl and took a swipe, but he lunged back in perfect timing. After a few more chunks of armor came off, I slammed my weapon down in his path when ever he attempted to jump or roll to the side. I had only one heavy shoulder plate left. He charged at me and slammed his shield into my chest and just for a second I stumbled. He jumped up and his sword came down on my helm, then another strike to the back.

My armor was completely off, allowing full movement and ability now, but he didn't know that. I flung my default sword at him, and he was distracted for half a second as he dodged it by leaning backwards. It was all the time I needed. I closed it an brought my smaller sword down. He managed to block it, but his arm was at an awkward angle, and his back bent kind of far. His balance was off, and he was trying to correct it without letting me get the upper hand in our precarious footing.

He might have known something was coming in he could have seen my face and the smirk on my lips. I lifted a leg and kicked him right in the side, a satisfying crack and him giving a yell of pain being the result. He crumpled and I slammed my foot into him again, causing him to skid across the room. I felt a new presence in the room. Baide was watching from somewhere, but I couldn't see him.

I was about to bring my sword down on the man in green, but he quickly rolled to the side and got around me before I could react and started slashing away. It hurt, yes, but it didn't burn and sting. I wasn't evil… just… possessed. I couldn't get anymore hits in as he whacked away, and finally I fell. My body dissipated into nothing as the curse was broken.

I was no longer tangible. Probably a spirit, much like the little poes scattered in the temple. I turned, and saw Biade. Only, he was as I once remembered him; no scales, no claws, no tail. Just a human, and he was smiling. I looked at myself and realized I was back to normal as well. I smiled and felt myself let go of the attachment to the world. I was free, and able to finally rest.


End file.
